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can I take RGB values from a few reference points (top, middle, button) of the Camera icon to deine the gradient of my icon?

That's exactly what you do, but for this one you don't need a middle value for this gradient.

You can make your life easier by first finding a higher resolution version of the icon. I did so by running a reverse image search with Google Images (click the camera icon in the search box).

The RGB value for the top of the gradient is #F8F8F8, the bottom is #919095. Set those as your foreground/background, apply a gradient overlay to your layer, and select the Foreground to Background gradient preset. If it comes out upside down, tick the Reverse checkbox.

If you want to re-color the gradient but have it look similar, add a Color Overlay layer effect and set the Blend Mode to something like Overlay (I usually just cycle through them to see which one looks nice)

Thanks @John, any chance you can share the PSD? I am not sure I understand where there is one layer or two (one for gradient, one for the background)? What I means is, what if I want to clone gradient but not the color, say, a yellowish icon with similar light source and gradient?
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ohhoJan 24 '13 at 11:13

@ohho, the end result should be at least two layers: 1 for the gradient, and 1 or more for whatever you're putting on top of the gradient (the lens in this case). The gradient is a Shape object with a Gradient Overlay effect applied. I have edited my answer to include a screenshot of Photoshop for (hopefully) some clarity. Here are the colored version's layer effects: i.imgur.com/N7NnyPr.png
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JohnB♦Jan 24 '13 at 11:41